Transducers for measuring very high pressures, in the order of several thousand pounds or more, are known, but they tend to be relatively massive and expensive.
For measuring lower pressures, in the order of 1,000 psi or less, reference is made to the capacitive pressure transducer assemblies and circuitry shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,668 granted June 14, 1983, U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,426 granted Aug. 16, 1983 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,419, granted Oct. 14, 1980, all of which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention. In the transducers shown in these patents, a thin diaphragm of low hysteresis insulating material, such as glass, or a ceramic such as alumina, is employed; and when pressure is applied to the diaphragm it flexes toward an adjacent base member, normally of the same material, and conductive layers on the facing surfaces change their spacing, thereby varying the capacitance between the two conductive layers. Standard circuitry included in the transducer converts the capacitance changes to an electrical signal varying linearly with the pressure changes. These pressure transducers are relatively inexpensive and have been widely used in automotive control and other applications.
Transducers for pressure ranges up to about 1000 psi have been made using substantially the arangements shown in the above cited patents. However, at pressures substantially above 1,000 psi, corresponding to more than 60 or 70 atmospheres or bars, standard low pressure transducer configurations are not entirely practical, as the pressure seals and other components cannot handle the very high pressures.
Accordingly, a principal object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive high pressure transducer.